Bandit Bride

They continued traveling north along the coast, like Felix promised. Everyone was cheery and joking around about what they might buy when they reached the next city, but they also kept shooting sideways glances and smirks at Elisa and Felix any time they fell in step next to each other or talked in low voices. Except for Jack, who just kept scrunching up his brow like he was confused about something.

When they stopped for the night to make camp, Felix and Elisa headed off into the trees to find firewood; which earned them a snicker from Lyle and Allen that Felix pointedly ignored; and Jack’s befuddled frown deepened.

“Are we sure we want to leave him alone with those guys?” Elisa asked. “You know they’re going to say things to him that they probably shouldn’t.”

“He’ll be all right. I’m the one who’s going to suffer when he comes to me for confirmation on whatever they tell him.”

Elisa laughed, scooping up a handful of kindling. “So what are you going to tell him exactly?”

He shot her a sideways glance while she casually studied the twigs in her hand.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly, lips quirking. “I guess that you just refuse to leave.”

Elisa swatted him with the twigs, feigning outrage. “Oh, you’re going to lie to him instead of telling him that you just can’t imagine life without me and if I tried to leave you’d beg me to stay?”

“Someone thinks awfully highly of herself,” Felix laughed, snatching the twigs from her and tickling her sides. Elisa flailed, giggling and trying to push him away.

“Need I remind you that it was technically you who asked to stay with me,” Felix said as she finally squirmed free. Elisa tossed her hair haughtily.

“Well if thats the way you feel about it, then maybe I will just leave,” she replied primly, starting to saunter away. She yelped when his arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her back.

“Alright I admit it; I don’t want you to leave.”

Elisa grinned, twisting around so she was facing him. “Now see, was that so hard?”

Felix rolled his eyes but Elisa kissed him before he could say anything else. They forgot about the firewood and stayed wrapped up on each other until they heard someone crashing around through the brush. They sprang apart just as Jack rounded a tree and spotted them. He eyed them up and down for a moment.

“You still haven’t found any firewood?” he asked.

“Ah. No,” Felix said. “No we haven’t.”

“There’s a whole bunch of it out here though.”

“Well, why don’t you help us look?” Elisa suggested. “Clearly you’re a very good firewood spotter.”

That seemed to distract him and he set about gathering up firewood. Elisa and Felix dutifully carried what he handed them, shooting each other smiles when he wasn’t paying attention. Elisa felt fizzy inside; she couldn’t seem to stop smiling.

“We shouldn’t let these two get the firewood anymore,” Jack declares when they returned to camp. “They were way off in the woods and still cooks t find any.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Allen smirked. “I’m sure they found some wood somewhere. And some fire too.”

Lyle nudged him sharply with his elbow but he was barely holding back a laugh. Burns rolled his eyes but there was a knowing sort of twinkle in his eyes when his gaze met Elisa’s. She blushed and looked away. When they were all gathered around the fire eating dinner, Jack set his plate aside and looked from Felix to Elisa with a very serious expression.

“Are you two getting married?”

Felix choked on the meat he’d been eating; Burns had to reach over and give him several hard pats on the back. Elisa froze with her food halfway to her mouth and Lyle and Allen both just roared with laughter.

“Are we what?” she asked.

“Getting married.”

“Why-why would you ask that?” Felix wheezed.

“You guys are acting weird, and Allen said-“

“Haven’t I told you not to listen to what Allen says,” Felix grumbled, shooting Allen an annoyed glance.

“But you never came back to our room the other night. You were with Elisa and you guys keep smiling with these dumb looks on your faces and Allen said you were doing...stuff, which is the same stuff he said was wedding night stuff so are you guys getting married? Or-“

“Jack,” Felix groaned. “Please, can we not have this conversation right now? It’s very rude to ask people these kinds of questions.”

“But Elisa’s staying with us?”

“Yes, she is.”

“And she’s staying in your tent?”

“Jack.”

“I’m just-“

“Jack!”

“Okay, okay, fine.” Jack huffed and resumed his dinner. Felix glared at the others and they pretended to cough to cover their chuckles.

“Listen, you pack of wild heathens, it may have escaped your attention that Elisa is a woman, so perhaps you could try not being ingrates for five minutes and refrain a bit from being so crass around and about her?” he chided. They mumbled sheepish apologies and Elisa smiled though her face still felt hot. She was rolling out blankets and fluffing pillows in the tent she shared with Felix when he ducked in.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said. “At some point, I guess we will need to make our way back to the city where my parents live. I’m going to have to face them eventually.”

Felix flopped across the blanket and pulled her down next to him. “Are you worried they’ll try to change your mind about your, ah...fiancé?”

She shrugged. “Probably. But it won’t work. If I didn’t want to marry Thurston before I certainly don’t want to now.”

“Oh no? I’m sure he’ll be very disappointed to hear that you’d rather sleep in tents with a lowly although ruggedly handsome criminal.”

Elisa rolled her eyes. “Now who thinks highly of themselves?” she joked, poking his side. He laughed and pulled her closer. She snuggled against his side and laid her head against his chest.

“I would though,” she murmured after a while.

“Would what?” Felix mumbled, half asleep.

“Rather live in a tent with you than marry Thurston.”

“Yeah I prefer that option too.”

Elisa startled awake later in the night from a dream she couldn’t remember. Felix was sound asleep beside her. Smiling, Elisa started to sit up but froze when she saw a shadow outside the tent. She could hear low voices outside, and they didn’t belong to Lyle or Allen. Heart pounding, Elisa reached over to grab Felix’s sword. She had only the vaguest idea of how to use it but she held it tight as she scooted toward the tent flap.

“Are you sure it’s him?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Should we just barge in, or maybe we should use water.”

Elisa screamed bloody murder as the tent flap came open and she slashed out with the sword, earning a loud curse from someone. Felix came awake in a flash.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“There’s men outside-“

Felix took the sword and stormed outside. Elisa scrambled to follow him.

“Whoa, hey, Felix! White flag, please don’t stab me.”

“Travis?” Felix lowered his sword and the shadowy figure laughed.

“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry. We saw your camp and thought we’d play a prank. Whoever else is in your tent these days got my shoulder pretty good though with that sword so can I maybe get some help here?”

Felix shook his head, ordering Lyle to start another fire. Elisa hovered right behind Felix, still not entirely sure what was happening. The man she’d apparently stabbed; Travis; was around Felix’s age and wearing an expression that was half chagrined and half amused.

“I feel like you’re dumber every time I see you, Travis,” Felix said, which made Travis laugh. They shook hands and then Travis spotted her.

“Well now. You must be the one with the impressive lungs who tried to take my head off. Sorry Felix, I didn’t realize you had such lovely company.”

“Shut up, idiot.”

“I’ll fetch some bandages,” Elisa said, retreating back into the tent now that she was reasonably sure these men weren’t there to kill them. She returned with bandages and a needle to stitch the wound. Travis seemed in a surprisingly good mood considering she’d inflicted a fairly large gash across his right shoulder.

“Not even going to apologize for stabbing me?” he asked.

“It was entirely your own fault,” Elisa replied and he laughed good-naturedly.

“Where’d you find this girl? She’s clearly too good for all of you.”

“It’s kind of a long story,” Felix said. “And she’s right you know; it is your own fault you got stabbed.”

“Who are you?” Elisa asked.

“They’re just more thieves,” Felix said. “Not as skilled as we are, but members of the underworld all the same.”

“You wound me, Felix. That hurts far more than your pretty girlfriend trying to kill me.”

“They’re idiots but they’re harmless,” Felix continued, ignoring him. “Travis, this is Elisa. She’s a new addition to the crew.”

“You don’t strike me as the highway bandit type, violent tendencies aside,” Travis remarked.

“Like Felix said, it’s sort of a long story.”

“She ran out on her wedding and then Felix tried to rob her and now she’s staying with us,” Jack supplied. Travis’s eyes went comically wide as Felix shook his head and nudged his brother.

“I guess it’s actually not that long of a story,” Elisa remarked dryly.